The present invention relates to improved solutions for processing dynamo-electric machine components (e.g., armatures or stators for electric motors, generators, or alternators) through wire coil winding steps.
Wire coils are an integral part of the dynamo-electric machine components such as armatures and stators. The wire coils are made of insulated wire wound on ferromagnetic poles. The ferromagnetic poles may be formed, for example, in the case of a stator, by adjacent longitudinal slots running along the inner surface of the stator core. The wound wire coil ends or leads are connected to terminal posts or boards on the component. In the operation of the dynamo-electric machine, electric voltage is applied to the terminal posts. As a result electric current passes through these wire coils generating electro-mechanical torques which cause the dynamo-electric machine armature to rotate. Wire coil-winding specifications (such as wire size, pitch, number of turns, and winding (pole) configuration) determine the operational rotational characteristics of the dynamo-electric machine.
The dynamo-electric machine component wire coils are often wound using automated coil winding machinery that includes a wire dispenser or needle mounted on a moving arm, which dispenses wire drawn from a wire spool. Exemplary winders are described, for example, in commonly-assigned Santandrea et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,606, Santandrea et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,000, Santandrea et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,221, Santandrea et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,088 and, Stratico et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,745, and Stratico et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication U.S. 2002/0020778, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. For example, for winding stator coils, the automated machinery may be used to have the wire dispenser travel back and forth through the stator bore alongside a pole, dispensing wire stretches that are deposited on the pole sides and ends to form the stator coil to design specifications. After the coil is wound, wire leads from the starting and ending wire stretches of the stator wire coil may be cut to suitable lengths and terminated. The terminated wire leads are then routed along safe paths, which do not mechanically or electrically interfere with machine operation, and fastened or attached to terminal posts on the stator. Initially, the cut wire leads may be held in temporary positions secured by wire grippers while the stator core is being processed in the winding machinery. The wire termination and final routing and terminal attachment procedures are often carried out either manually or using automated wire termination and connection machines after the stator core has been moved out from the winding machinery.
Unfortunately, conventional routing and attachment procedures may unwind, loosen, dislodge, or other wise degrade the wound wire coil. For example, pulling on the starting wire stretch, which is invariably buried under subsequent wire stretches, may dislodge or otherwise disturb the wound wire coil. An ending wire stretch that is loose or not held taut may cause the wound wire coil to unravel or unwind. Further, the handling of the starting and ending wire stretches may nick, scratch or otherwise damage wire insulation. Damaged wire insulation can lead to electrical shorts or leakage, which can degrade dynamo-electric machine performance or cause machine failure.
Consideration is now being given to ways of providing solutions for improving dynamo-electric machine component manufacture. Attention is directed toward methods and apparatus for terminating stator wire coil leads, with a view to make wire lead routing and fastening procedures less disturbing to wound wire coils, and to improve the overall quality of dynamo-electric machine components.